Police officers are facing up to a “perverse joke” today (April 1) as many suffer further cuts to their pay and increases to their monthly pension contributions.

As usual, on April 1 a host of changes to police officer pay and conditions are implemented by the government.

Thousands of experienced officers will lose a further 25 per cent of their Competency Related Threshold Payments. Officers of all ranks and stages of their careers will also see their pension contributions rise.

The majority of English and Welsh officers on the 30-year Police Pension Scheme will now be paying 14.25 per cent of their salaries into their pensions.

It was meant to be to 14.20 per cent – as stated when the three-year increases were originally outlined in 2011 – but the government tacked on an extra 0.05 per cent this year. Police officers have no negotiation rights over their pensions.

Officers on the 35-year New Police Pension Scheme (NPPS) face a jump from 11.5 per cent in 2013 to 12.05 per cent.

Nick Smart, West Yorkshire Police Federation Chairman, said officers were, once again, suffering cuts to their standards of living at the hands of the government. He described it as a “perverse April fool’s joke.”

He said: “We are extremely angered that the government have singled out the Police Service with an extra pensions rise to what was agreed over a three-year term.

“Every pound matters for officers at the moment as the cost of living continues to rise.”

Pension hikes

Graham Smith, Chairman of Thames Valley Police Federation, said: “I am disappointed the Home Secretary has increased police officer contributions above what she said originally.”

And Neil Bowles, Chairman of South Yorkshire Police Federation, added: “The government have ignored the Police Federation of England and Wales… and the contributions are going up more than they suggested three years ago. It is another cut to officers’ standards of living taking inflation into account.”

Turning to Competency Related Threshold Payments, Mr Smart added: “We have had pay and increment freezes and some of our longer serving colleagues are now going to see their Competency Related Threshold Payments become 50 per cent less than what they used to be. They will be phased out altogether in two years’ time.

“How is this fair?”

Mr Smart said the “one bonus” to the changes to police officer pay and conditions on April 1 was that officers at the start of their careers, and some sergeants, will once again be eligible for increment payments.

After a two-year wait, constables across England and Wales in the first decade of their careers will see their pay rise on the anniversary of joining the job. The Winsor I report froze police officer increments at the end of March 2012. Officers will now start again where they left off two years ago.

This is to a maximum salary of £36,885, the top of the constables’ pay scale – currently 11 points.

Over the next three years the old 11-point constables’ pay scale will be reduced to eight points during an “assimilation process”.

“It seems to be a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul,” summed up Mr Smart.

Police Minister Damian Green stated: “Public employees across the spectrum are undergoing reform of their pensions and pay restraint; there is no justification to exempt police officers from this. I know that police officers, like others, are concerned about the prospect of increased pension contributions.

“While I recognise that officers pay high pension contribution rates compared to other public service workers, it is also true that contributions are paid over a shorter period than others and that police pension schemes provide very valuable benefits.

“Police officers will continue to retire earlier than many public sector employees and to draw upon their police pension for a longer period.”

“Police Minister Damian Green stated: “Public employees across the spectrum are undergoing reform of their pensions and pay restraint; there is no justification to exempt police officers from this. I know that police officers, like others, are concerned about the prospect of increased pension contributions.”

Err except for MP’s Damien, except for MP’s